Terminal strip



Aug. 19, 1958 c. v. @BST 2,848,704

TERMINAL STRP Filed Dec. Z50. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Cmm;

A TTOR/VEV ,Aug. 19, 1958 c. v. OBST 2,848,704

TERMINAL STRIP Filed Dec. 30. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /A/l/E/VTOR C. M 0857' ATTOR/VE V Ziilgjidl Patented Aug.. i9, i958 TERE/1MAL STRIP Charles V. Obst, South @zone Partir, N. Y., assigner to Bell Telephone Laboratories, incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation ot New York Application December 39, 1954, Serial No. 473,669

it? Claims. (Cl. 339-498) This invention relates to means for interconnecting the wires of electric circuits and more particularly to terminal strips. Although not necessarily limited thereto, the terminal strip chosen as illustrative of the invention is adapted for use with wrapped wire connections.

Terminal strips, as their name implies, comprise a plurality of suitably mounted terminals for terminating or interconnecting the wires of an electric circuit. Such terminal strips are conveniently mounted on instruments, panels, frames, relay racks, et cetera.

An object of this invention is to facilitate the termination or interconnection of a plurality of circuit wires or conductors.

One feature of this invention resides in a terminal strip comprising a box-like trame having oriced covers of insulating material, a plurality of terminals in corresponding orifices of both covers, molded plastic material Within the frame for imbedding the terminals and for securing at least one of the covers to the frame and means on the terminals for securing the other cover to the frame.

Another feature ot the invention lies in a plurality of insulating subpanels associated with groups of terminals and means for mounting said panels on said terminals.

Other and further objects and features of this invention will appear more fully and clearly from the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof taken in connection with the appended drawing in which:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation of the embodiment of the invention used as an illustration thereof;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the device illustrated in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a top view of a portion of the device of Fig. l taken from the viewpoint of the line 3 3 of Fig. l;

. 4 is a sectional view on the line iot Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view of one of the terminals; and

Fig. 6A is a view of a portion of another similar terminal.

The box-like frame id ct this terminal strip has pro jecting lugs or ears generally designated as lll and 12 for mounting the strip on a panel or the like. The ears 11 and l?. include respectively an oriced mounting portion LA and lZA and a narrowed connecting portion 11B and MB. The ears il and 1.2 are reinforced respectively by webs or gussets 13 and 14. As may be seen in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, the web 13 is ot" channel shape including a passage 15 for a purpose to be described. The frame itl is advantageously made of metal, such as a diecast zinc alloy.

Mounted in and closing the open ends of the frame 10 are oriticed covers or face plates i6 and 17 of insulating material, such as molded polystyrene plastic.

The oriiices i8 of each cover are arranged in a series of parallel rows. Each orifice is of a section to t a terminal with slight clearance and is flared toward each ace of the cover .taciiitate the insertion of terminals during assembly. The covers i6 and 17 may be and are advantageously duplicates, but for convenience of description have been designated respectively as the top (16) and the bottom (i7) cover. The number of terminal rows and 'terminals per row may, of course, be varied from the illustrated ten rows of six terminals each.

Each terminal row consists of a plurality of generally like but spccically different terminals. ln the six-terminal-per-row arrangement illustrated, iive terminals are the same except for the spacing of certain parts and the sixth is slightly different. The terminal shown in Fig. 6 is illustrative of the ve terminals, and the portion of a terminal shown in Fig. 6A is illustrative of the sixth.

Looking first at Fig. 6, the terminal generally designated as 2i) has end portions 2l and 21A for receiving connecting wires. In the particular example shown, the portions 21 and 21A are rectangular in section for the purpose of receiving wrapped wire connections. Other congurations for diterent types of connections may be used where desirable.

Each of the iive terminals has a projection 22, the shoulder 23 of which rests, in the assembled condition, on the outer face of the top cover 16. Spaced from the shoulder 23 in the direction of the end portion 21A is a notch 24, which, as may be seen in Fig. 4, is adjacent to the inner face of the bottom cover 17 in the assembled condition. A tongue 2S projects from the terminal Ztl adjacent the base of the end portion 2l. Intermediate the tongue 25 and the protection 22 is a connector tab 26. For a purpose to be described, the spacing between the projection 22 and the tab Je is different for each of the tive like terminals.

The terminal generally designated 29A and shown in Fig. 6A is similar to the others except that the tab and the projection are so close together that they have been made integral, the portion 26A representing the tab and the portion 22A the projection, corresponding respectively to like elements 22 and 2t? of the terminal shown in Fig. 6.

The terminals may be assembled by inserting them in the orifices 18 of the top cover lo and then in the corresponding orifices 1S of the bottom cover 17 while the covers are in place on the frame llt). While the covers are held in place and the terminals `are maintained with their shoulders 23 and 23A against the top surface of the cover lo, a quantity ot hardenable plastic material is poured into the channel it in suicient amount to at least cover the notches 2&5 of all ot the terminals as shown at 3G in Fig. 4. When the plastic material has hardened, the whole structure is secured together, the bottom cover and the terminals by the plastic and the top cover by the shoulders 23 and 23A of the terminals. if desired, the plastic material may completely ll the space in the frame between the covers le and i7. The plastic material may be a catalyst hardened epoxide resin.

Associated with each row of terminals is an insulator plate or subpanel 27. The plate 27 has a plurality of notches along one edge (the top edge in Fig. 2) and a diagonal row of slots across its surface. The lower left hand corner of the plate 27, as viewed in Fig. 2, is notched, having a setback shoulder 29. The previously noted ve like terminals 2t) each has a notch 25 in the projection 2?., and the remaining terminal 29A has a similar notch 28A in the tab 26A. The bottom of the plate 27 fits into the notches 28 of the terminals 2d and the shoulder 29 into the notch 28A of the terminal ZtlA. The ta-b 26A is thereby located adjacent the shoulder 29. The tabs 26 are so located on their respective terminals that they project through the slots in the noted diagonal line of slots in the plate 27. The tongues Z5 t in the adjacent notches along the top edge of the plate 27 and are bent over to secure the plate to the terminal row. The connec- 3V A, tor tabs 26 and 26A serve as terminals for maknig connections, as by strapping, to adjacent apparatus elements, in addition to any wrapped or other connections that may be made to the terminalendportions 21 and 21A. v Y

Terminal strips in accordance with this invention are advantageously mounted on racks or frames closely adjacent to various Vapparatuselen'ients. The narrowed portions llB and 12B of the mounting ears 11 and Y12 thus afford clearance lspace through which connecting wires or cables may be passed from the front to the rear, of the frameV orvice versa.

Since a partial iilling of the frame with the hardenable insulating material is adequate from the standpoint of structural strength, these devices would in the interest of economy of material, usually be made in this way. Terminal strips, so constructed, are advantageously mounted vertically with the channel 15 of the mounting ear 1l downward. This allows any moisture that may condense within the frame to runoff.v The tendency of moisture to condense in this zone is` inhibited by air circulation through the frame via this channel and leakage space dueto the slight clearance around the terminals that are not sealed in the top cover.

What is claimed is: c

l. A terminal strip comprising an elongated 'box-like metal frame open at the top and bottom and having mounting ears on opposite ends thereof, covers of insulating material for the top and the bottom of said frame, each cover having a plurality of rows of terminal receiving oriiicestherein, elongated terminals mounted in correspondingaligned orifices of and projecting beyond each cover, each terminal having a cover securing shoulder resting on the outer face of the top cover, an insulator plate for each row of terminals, each plate having a plurality of notches in one edge and a coresponding pluralityrof slots arranged in a diagonal row thereacross, each terminal having a tongue tting into one of said notches and a tab tting into one of said slots,l and a molded body of insulation within said frame imbedding a portion of each of said terminals and securing the bottom cover to the frame.

2. A terminal strip comprising an elongated frame. open at the top and bottom and having mounting means on opposite ends thereof, covers of insulating material for the top and the bottom of said'frame, each cover having a plurality of rows of terminal receiving orifices therein, a plurality of terminals mounted respectively in corresponding aligned orifices of and projecting beyond each cover, each terminal having a cover securing shoulder resting on the outer face of the top cover, an insulator plate forVV each row of terminals, each plate having a plurality of notches in one edge and a `corresponding plurality of -slots arranged in a diagonal row thereacross, each terminal having a tongue tting into one of said notches and bent over toward the plate and a tab fitting into one of said slots, and a molded body of insulation within said frame imbedding said terminals and securing the bottom cover to the frame.

3. A terminal strip comprising an elongated box-like frame open at the top and bottom and having mounting ears on opposite ends thereof, covers of insulating material for the top and the bottom of said frame, each cover having a plurality of rows of terminal receiving orifices therein, a plurality of terminals each mounted respectively in corresponding aligned oriiices of and projecting beyond each cover, each terminal having a cover-securing` shoulder resting onrthe outer face of the top cover and a notched portiony positioned adjacent to the bottom cover; and a body of-insulation molded within said frame, im-

bedding the notched portion of each of said terminals and securing-the bottom cover to the frame.

4. A terminal strip comprising an elongated 'box-like metal'frarne open at the top and bottom and having mounting ears on oppositey ends thereof, reinforcingwebs between each ear and the trarne, one of said webs definingv 4 a channel leading into said frame, Vcovers of insulating material for the top andthe bottom of said frame, each cover having a plurality of rows of terminal receiving oriiices therein, elongated terminals each mounted in corresponding aligned oritices of and projecting beyond each cover, each terminal having a cover securing shoulder resting on the outer face of the top cover, and a molded body of insulation within said frame and channel imbedding said terminals and securing the bottom cover to the frame. Y

V5. A terminal strip comprising a frane having op-y posite open sides and oppositely directed mounting portions, oriiiced insulating covers for said open sides, a

plurality of terminals arranged in rows in the orifices and projecting therefrom, a notched insulating plate for each row of terminals, said terminals having tonguelike projections in the notched parts of the plates for securing the plates to the terminals, and a molded mass of insulating material imbedding an intermediate portion `of each terminal and securing at leasty one cover to the terminals and to the frame, said terminals having a shouldered portion for securing the other cover to the frame. k

6. A terminal strip as in claim 5 in which at least one of said mounting portions is vshaped to define a channel communicating with the` interior of said frame.

7. A terminal strip comprising a metallic frame havingvopposite open sides and oppositely directed mounting portions, correspondingly oriflced insulating. covers forl said open sides, a plurality of elongated terminals arranged in rows each terminal in the corresponding orifices of each cover and projecting therefrom, and a molded mass. of insulating material imbedding intermediate portions of the terminals and securing atleast one cover to the terminals and to the frame, said termi. nals having a shouldered portion for securing the otherV cover to the frame.

8. A terminal strip comprising a frame having opposite open sides and oppositely directed mountingl means, each mounting means having a restricted portion adjacent the frame and defining therewith a wire passage, oriiiced insulating covers for said open sides, a plurality of terminals arrangedA in rows in the orifices and projecting therefrom, a notched insulating plate Vfork each row of terminals, said terminals havingl tongues vin the notched parts of the plates and notched projections plurality of terminals arranged in rows in the orificesV and projecting therefrom, and a mass of insulating material molded in the channel and frame for imbedding .intermediate portions of the terminals and securing at least one cover to the terminals and to the frame, said terminals having a shouldered portion for securing the othercover to the frame.

l0. A terminal strip comprising a frame having oppcsitey open sides and oppositely directed mounting portions, orice'd insulating covers for said open sides,

a plurality of terminals arranged in rows in the oriiices` and projecting therefrom, an insulating plate Vfor eachY row of terminals, said plates having notches along one edge, said terminals having bent-over tongues in the notches and having notched projections spaced from the;l

tongues and titting over the opposite edge of the plate for securing the plates to the terminals, and a molded; Itlass of insulating material imbedding intermediate. por# tions ofthe terminals and securing atleast one cverito,`

5 the terminals and to the frame, said terminals having a 2,318,230 shouldered portion for securing the other cover to the 2,397,283 frame. 2,685,107

References Cited in the le of this patent 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 124,581

1,844,637 Chubb Feb. 9, 1932 6 Jones May 4, 1943 Martin Mar. 26, 1946 Schultz Aug. 3, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS Australia Sept. 19, 1944 

